


Taken

by Dixon1994



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Beth is 15, Daryl Dixon & Beth Greene Friendship, Daryl saves Beth, Hostage Situations, Implied Future Bethyl, Kidnapping, Merle Dixon Being an Asshole, Non-Consensual Touching, Robbery, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-06 23:14:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10346757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dixon1994/pseuds/Dixon1994
Summary: Merle is robbing a small convenience store where a 15 year old Beth is picking up milk on her way home from school. Merle takes her hostage when the cops show up and uses her to get away. When he returns to the rundown shack he and Daryl share, with Beth still in tow, Daryl is furious with him for robbing the store in the first place but also bringing the young girl there.Daryl pulls her away from Merle and tells her that he will take her home if she swears not to tell anyone, and she agrees.Merle doesn’t trust this arrangement and tells Daryl he’s going to give her something to make her sleep then kill her. Daryl refuses to let this happen and instead insists on keeping her with them, not telling Merle he plans to sneak her home a few days later.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Kiddnapped](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6054229) by [rachelarcher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rachelarcher/pseuds/rachelarcher). 



> This story was inspired by a story I read here on AO3 called “Kiddnapped” by rachelarcher. It’s a fantastic story and if you haven’t read it, I encourage you to check it out.

Beth Greene walked into the Gas and Grocery that was between her home and school. Her mom had asked her to pick up milk on the way home. Beth was heading for the register when a man wearing a ski mask came in, drew a gun on the cashier and demanded all the money.   
The cashier was terrified but managed to carefully slip her hand under the counter and press the button for the silent alarm, before opening the register and handing over the money.  
Just as the man turned to leave the cops pulled in. Beth was relieved as Rick Grimes and Shane Walsh spilled from their car, guns drawn and aimed at the robber. “Drop your weapon and get on the ground now!” Rick was shouting.   
“I don’t think so.” The man growled. He reached out and grabbed Beth by the wrist, pulling her in front of him, and pointing the gun to her head. “Now I’mma walk outta here or she’s gonna die.”  
“Let the girl go, and we can talk about this.” Shane had his hand out to show he was willing to lower his weapon.   
Beth was panicking and Rick could see it. He had know Beth and her family for a long time and he knew he would never forgive himself if something happened to her. “Bethy. Just relax. It’s gonna be alright.”   
She nodded her head weakly, tears beginning for slip down her cheeks.   
“Listen man, just let her go, and we can talk.” Shane tried again. He wasn’t a huge fan of the Greenes, ever since Beth’s sister Maggie had turned him down for a date, but he wasn’t about to let this young girl get hurt.   
“Not a chance.” He spat at the officers, before wrapping his arm around Beth’s neck and side stepping toward his truck. “C’mon Darlin’. Let’s go for a little drive.”  
“No! Let me go! Please! Rick!” She struggled and kicked the whole way to the truck.   
As he pushed her inside he kept the gun on her. He never lowered it until they were far away from the store. He pulled his mask off, then spoke. “Now ya just gonna sit there an' be quiet. We’ll be there soon.”  
She sobbed. “Where?”   
He turned and grinned at her, then continued driving.  
***  
They drove for what felt like hours to Beth, when in reality it was only thirty minutes. He pulled the truck up in front of a rundown shack and then got out, dragging Beth behind him.   
He opened the door and shoved her inside, causing her to fall to the floor. When she looked up, she was at the feet of another man. She quickly scrambled backwards when he looked down at her and glared.   
“What the fuck is this shit, Merle?!” the second man shouted, pointing at her.   
“It’s a girl Darleena, ain’t never seen one before?” The first man, whose name she guessed was Merle, laughed.   
“Fuck off. Why’s she here?”  
“I was knockin’ off that store I told ya ‘bout an' she was there. Cops showed up, I needed a way out. She was it.”  
“Ya fuckin’ dumbass. Told ya not ta go robbin’ no goddamn store ta begin with! As for her, ya couldn’t have dropped her off somewhere?”  
“Couldn’t have her talkin'.”   
“Damn it Merle!” He yelled, then turned to Beth. “C’mere.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her up. “Listen up. I’ll take ya home, but you keep yer mouth shut about who he is! Understand?”   
“Y-yes.” She stuttered out while nodding.   
“I don’t think so, baby brotha.” They both turned to look at Merle as he continued. “Them cops know her. She’ll talk.”  
“No! No, I won’t! I swear!” Beth was terrified.   
“Shut up, girl!” The one holding her arm, whose name she wasn’t sure of yet, growled at her. He turned to his brother. “What do ya suppose we do with her then?” He spat sarcastically.  
Merle nodded his head toward the other side of the room, indicating the other should follow him. When they were in the corner Merle whispered something Beth couldn’t hear. The other shook his head profusely and told him no. They argued awhile before Merle finally gave up and stormed out of the shack. The other man approached Beth then.   
“I’m Daryl. That idiot, he’s my brother, Merle. What’s yer name, girl?” He was speaking gentler now.   
“Beth.”   
“Okay. Here’s the deal, Beth. I wanna take ya home, but Merle don’t think we can trust ya. He wants ta give ya somethin' ta make ya sleep an' then… well… nevermind that. Instead, ya gonna stay here with us. Ya gonna stick by me an' do as ya told, an' eventually I’ll get ya home. Got it?”  
She stared at him in shock and horror. “But, I-I—.”   
“No other option girl. Ya wanna live, ya do what I say, when I say.”   
She nodded, not seeing any other option.  
“Good. Can ya cook?”  
She nodded again.   
“Get ya ass in the kitchen an' make dinner. Go on.”  
She quickly went to the kitchen to begin cooking. She prayed that her family and the cops were looking for her.   
Daryl rubbed his face. Unlike his brother, this was something he didn’t believe in… hurting women, forcing them into things they didn’t want. ‘Poor girl was just an innocent bystander.’ He though to himself. ‘Damn it, Merle.’  
***  
That night after they had told her to eat with them then do the dishes, she slunk back into the living room and stood, waiting to see what they were going to do.   
Merle was the first to speak to her. “Why don’t ya c'mon inta my room an' lay yer head down?” He chuckled.   
“Leave ‘er alone.” Daryl barked at his brother.   
“What? Ya tryin' ta get ‘er ta yerself?” He laughed at his own joke, and received a glare from Daryl.  
Daryl turned to her. “How old are ya, sweetheart?” His tone was gentle.   
“Fif-fifteen.”   
He scratched his head then turned to Merle. “She’s a little girl, jackass!”   
“Ain’t inta that, sorry Darlin’.” Merle grinned then stood and went to what Beth assumed was his bedroom, leaving her and Daryl in the living room alone.   
She shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, praying Daryl would decide to take her home.   
He watched her and he felt sorry for her. He wanted to take her home but was afraid of what Merle could do to him and possibly still to her. He sighed and stood up, crossing the room to where she stood. “C’mon. Ya can sleep in my room.” He saw her become tense and gently gripped and tugged on her arm. “I ain’t gonna hurt ya. C'mon.”  
Beth timidly followed him into his bedroom. He had a double bed, a dresser and a TV stand with a TV and DVD player. She moved to sit on the floor, not feeling comfortable to sit on the bed.  
“Yer gonna be hurtin’ tomorra if ya sleep down there.” He patted the bed. “C’mon. Told ya, I ain’t gonna hurt ya. ‘s okay.”  
She looked at the bed for a long moment before finally sitting on the edge, visibly shaking.   
Daryl looked at her from where he stood, emptying his pockets on the dresser. She was terrified. He knew he couldn’t slip her out that night. It would have to wait, at least a day or two, until Merle settled down or pulled another disappearing act. He wanted to make her feel better but, doubted he could. He saw her try to hide her tears. He decided he could at least try. “Beth.”   
She jumped and turned to look at him as he crossed the room to where she sat.   
He laid his hand on her shoulder and squeezed lightly. “I know what yer ‘fraid of most righ' now but, listen, I’m a lotta things, but I ain’t never forced myself on no woman, ‘specially not no li'l girl. Ain’t ‘bout ta start t'night.”  
She tried to find comfort in his words, but found it hard. “Am I… supposed t-to sleep in the bed?”  
He nodded, rummaging through his dresser looking for something. He pulled out a t-shirt and some sweatpants, handing them to her. “I know they ain’t gon' fit ya right, but it’s better than sleepin' in jeans.” Noticing her fearful glance his way, he smiled as calmly as he could. “I’ll be over here changin'. I ain’t gonna look.”  
She nodded and turned away, changing quickly, hearing him do the same. Soon she was sitting carefully on the bed again.   
He knew he was going to terrify this girl no matter what, but his main focus was keeping her safe from Merle. He moved slowly to lay next to her in the bed, and she started crying. “Girl, I promise, I ain’t like that.”  
“Please, take me home. I won’t tell anyone anything, even when they ask. I’ll say he knocked me out and everything is fuzzy. Please, I just want to go home.” She covered her face with her hands and cried.   
‘Damn you, Merle.’ Daryl growled to himself again. He hated when Merle did stupid shit. Especially when he hurt innocent people in the process. This girl didn’t deserve this. “I know, girl. Soon. I promise. Soon.” He heard Merle grumbling in the other room and knew her crying had woke him. He also knew, given his brother’s temper, that this wasn’t going to end well if he couldn’t quiet her. “Beth. I need ya ta trust me, jus' for t'night. Please.” He pulled her to him, in an attempt to muffle her cries in his chest and possibly calm her. He immediately knew the plan backfired.   
She screamed out in sheer terror from him grabbing her. She pushed against him and tried to get away.   
“Shh, shh, Beth stop!” He tried to quiet her but it was too late.   
Merle burst through the door and grabbed Beth by the hair, pulling her from the bed before she even knew he was there. He threw her to the floor and kicked her sharply in the ribs, causing her to scream out in pain. He dropped to his knees next to her and grabbed her hair again, pulling her head back sharply. “Shut the fuck up, ya li'l bitch!” He slapped her face hard and she bit back another scream.   
Daryl knew he would be next if he attempted to intervene. He was already on Merle’s shit-list for not allowing him to kill the poor girl. But when Merle had slapped her several more times, raining insults down on her, and had stood up to kick her again, Daryl spoke up. “Enough!”   
Merle turned and glared daggers at him. “First ya worried ‘bout me wantin' ta get rid of ‘er, then ya screamin' at me ‘bout ‘er bein' a kid. So ya decide ta get ‘er inta yer bed, an' ya can’t even keep the bitch quiet!” With his last word he kicked her again, hard.   
“Merle, she ain’t like us. She ain’t used ta this shit. Yer gonna kill ‘er, then ya gonna have real trouble if they find ya.” He tried to reason with his brother.   
Merle glared at him, then back at the girl on the floor, gasping for air through her tears. “Keep ‘er fuckin' quiet.” He stomped out then.   
As soon as the door was shut, he dropped to Beth’s side, trying to see how badly she was hurt. “Damn it. I didn’t mean ta scare ya. I was tryin' ta pull ya inta me ta quiet ya down so this didn’t happen.”  
She pushed him away and curled into a ball, crying silently. She hurt all over. She just wanted to go to sleep now. Maybe she would wake up from this nightmare. “I’m sorry.” She whispered.   
Daryl laid down next to her and shushed her again. “It ain’t yer fault. Ya didn’t ask for this. I’m gonna get ya home, girl.” He whispered.  
She nodded and crawled to his side, allowing him to hold her.   
“Can I check ya over?” He felt her nod against his chest then. He helped her sit up and move to the bed, then checked her face, ribs and stomach. “Ya look a'ight. Nothin' major, jus' cuts, bruises, maybe a bruised rib or two. He coulda done worse. I’ll give ya some pain meds.” He went to the dresser and grabbed some pills and a bottle of water, returning to her side.   
She took what he gave her and then laid down next to him again. He kept his distance, until she rolled into his arms. “Thank you. For not letting him kill me.”   
“Yer innocent. May not matter ta him, but it does ta me.”  
She drifted off to sleep, wishing she had met this gruff but, gentle, man under different circumstances.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daryl saves Beth!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wrapping it up. I wanted it to be longer but it wasn't coming out how I planned... So two chapters is it!

The next morning, Beth woke up in severe pain. Daryl gave her more pills and told her he would help make breakfast.   
Merle came into the kitchen when they were about to eat.   
Beth lowered her head and tried to ignore his presence.   
“Sorry ‘bout las' night darlin’. I jus' don’t like it when someone wakes me. Baby brotha should know ta keep his women quiet.” He laughed.   
Daryl glared at Merle. “Shut up Merle. Told ya she’s a kid. I ain’t touchin' ‘er. I was tryin' ta calm her down from ya scarin' the hell outta ‘er.”  
“Lotta good that did.” Merle laughed again.   
Beth realized he seemed to have a very disturbing sense of humor. She wasn’t hungry but Daryl insisted she eat something, so she was picking at some toast.   
They continued to eat in silence and after breakfast she went to do the dishes.   
Daryl pulled Merle outside. “I’m takin’ ‘er home. Ya got ‘er scared, she ain’t gonna talk.”  
“Ya can’t be sure ‘bout that.”  
“Damn it Merle! This time ya was too close ta home. What if someone recognized ya?”  
“I wore a damn mask!”  
“Don’t matter! They know ya. They always look at ya when somethin’ goes down. Hell they prob’ly saw yer damn truck! They gonna come lookin'. Lemme take ‘er home. I’ll say I found ‘er on the side of the road, out cold. She’ll stick ta that, an’ ya can get outta town a few days.”   
“Nah. Ya ain’t taken ‘er home.”   
“Why?” Daryl growled. He was getting pissed. This felt like some kind of game and he didn’t like it.   
Merle laughed at his brother. “’cause. She’s useful. Does the cookin' an' the cleanin'. Hell, in a few years, she’ll be grown up inta a nice li'l piece too.”   
Daryl couldn’t stand the thought of Merle touching the girl. She was young, still a child, and Merle had apparently decided to raise her into being his sex toy. ‘Over my dead body.’ Daryl punched Merle right in the mouth, busting his lip and knocking him on his ass. “Don’t ya ever touch ‘er.” Daryl stormed back inside before Merle could retaliate. He knew he would pay for that later.   
Beth was back in the bedroom sitting on the edge of the bed. She looked up when Daryl came in.   
“Ya bored?” He wanted to help take her mind off things.  
She only shrugged.   
“Well, my movie selection ain’t the best, but ya might be able ta find somethin’ ya wanna watch. Why don’t ya come look?”  
She shook her head.   
He eyed her a few moments before deciding to try another approach. “How ‘bout a li'l walk? Can’t go far but there's a lake not far from here. It’s pretty nice ta look at this time of year, with all the leaves changin’.”   
She nodded and stood to follow him from the room.   
Merle was on the couch. “Where ya think ya goin'?”   
“A walk.” Daryl barked back, closing the door behind him as they left.  
***  
They walked to the lake in silence. Beth sat down on a rock and stared out at the water. It was beautiful, peaceful. Daryl sat next to her.   
Beth looked at him. “I heard what he said to you.”  
Daryl nodded slowly. “Ain’t gonna be like that. Promise.”   
“Why didn’t you stop him sooner last night?”  
He watched her for a moment. “We were raised rough. An abusive father, drunk mother. Eventually, Merle became jus' as bad as dad. I didn’t wanna be that way. I can fight when I have ta, but I try not ta. Las' night, if I had stopped him immediately, he’d’ve pounded the shit outta me, then still beat ya. Prob'ly worse than he did. I know it’s a shitty way to do it but, I was tryin' ta protect ya at least some.”  
“Oh.”   
He sighed. “I don’t believe in hurtin’ women. Merle on the other hand…. It don’t bother ‘im.”  
She nodded slightly but didn’t respond.   
“Jus' keep with me a couple days. I’ll get ya home.”  
She nodded again.   
“C'mon. Let’s go back.”  
She followed him closely back to the shack.   
***  
Merle was still on the couch when they returned. He patted his knee and looked at Beth. “C’mere.”   
Beth looked to Daryl, fear clear in her eyes.  
“Merle.” Daryl’s tone was warning.   
“I said, c'mere.” He barked again. “Now.”  
Beth immediately crossed the room to the couch and dropped beside Merle.   
“Nah. Get ya ass up here.” He pulled her into his lap.   
Daryl stood frozen in place as he listen to Beth whimper in terror when Merle sat her in his lap.   
Merle began rubbing her back and arms, looking at Daryl with a look that dared him to intervene. When he ran his hand between her legs and she began crying and tried to get away, he hit her.   
Daryl lost it. He pulled Beth away from Merle and told her to go outside and wait for him.   
She did as she was told.  
Daryl jumped on Merle and began to punch him. “Ya ain’t touchin’ ‘er! She’s a little girl!” He kept punching him until he was still. Daryl stepped back and looked at his brother. He could see his chest moving in shallow breaths. He pulled out his phone and dialed 911. He gave them directions into the shack and told them Merle was the robber and kidnapper. Then he returned outside to Beth.   
She was leaning against the truck crying.   
“C'mon Beth. I’m takin' ya home.”  
***   
She gave him directions to her home and they set out. “What happened?” She asked.  
“I didn’t like the look in his eyes. The way he was touchin' ya. So after I sent ya outside, I beat ‘im then called the cops an' turned his ass in. For the robbery an' takin' ya.”   
“Oh.”  
He took her hand. “I’m so sorry.”   
“It wasn’t your fault.”  
“I didn’t help ya sooner.”  
“You kept him from killing me.”   
Daryl didn’t answer. He released her hand and turned up her driveway.   
She hopped out of the truck and was immediately greeted by her mom, dad, sister and brother.   
Daryl walked up behind her and shifted awkwardly when everyone looked to him.   
“This is Daryl. He saved me.” Beth spoke up.   
Everyone began shaking his hand and thanking him.  
He turned to Beth, then back to her family. “Don’t. Please, don’t thank me.”  
Her father, Hershel, stepped forward. “Why?”   
“He’s my brother. The man that robbed the store an' took yer daughter. He brought ‘er ta the house, ‘bout forty minutes from here. I told ‘er I would get ‘er home. He wouldn’t let me. He wanted ta kill ‘er, I stopped him. I tried my best ta protect ‘er, but…” Daryl stopped and took a breath, looking as if he wanted to cry. “He beat ‘er. I took care of ‘er an' I planned on gettin' her out t'night. But, he started touchin' ‘er an' I don’t believe in hurtin' women or makin' ‘em do anythin’ they don’t wanna. So, I beat ‘im, turned ‘im in. Then I brought ‘er home.” He looked up, tears on his face. “I’m so sorry, for my part in hurtin’ yer daughter.”  
“Son.” Hershel laid his hand on Daryl’s shoulder. “From the way you just described things, it sounds like you indeed saved my daughter, not hurt her.”  
“He did.” Beth spoke.   
Daryl nodded, wiping his eyes.   
Hershel nodded to the house. “Come on inside. Let’s talk. Get to know each other. I believe we have a job opening for a farm hand and an open room if you’re interested?”  
Daryl stared, dumbfounded at the man, then nodded and followed them all inside. He was thankful that he would be near Beth. He wanted to be her friend, maybe someday more. She was an amazing girl, that he was sure of.


End file.
